Singapore Craft Beer Bars: Your Comprehensive Guide & Map

It wasn’t that long ago when craft beer was an alien concept to this part of the world. My first Singapore craft beer event was a small fair in a function room in 2011. There were just a few distributors showcasing beers that I hadn’t tasted before, from India Pale Ales (IPAs) to Trappist beers.

Since then, the scene has grown massively. While it remains a small community that won’t make the commercial beer giants lose sleep any time soon, it’s spawned the Beerfest Asia festival and a homebrewing showcase. There have also been new craft beer bars, local microbreweries and imports practically every month. Even restaurants and hipster cafes stock a few bottles and cans. It’s an expensive hobby to keep up, so I decided to create something useful from this pastime – a list that answers the question, ‘Where to drink craft beer in Singapore?’

Note: From 7 April 2020, as part of the measures to control the spread of COVID-19, all Singapore F&B establishments have ceased dining and drinking on premises temporarily. Some have already closed as part of the earlier measures. Refer to this circuit breaker special post for more details.

Singapore craft breweries

If you want to find craft beers from Singapore to introduce to your guests from abroad, look for these names at the bars and restaurants around the island. Those marked with * have taprooms and you’ll find their details below.

Styles of beer

At almost all of the bars I’ve visited, you’ll face a selection of the following general beer styles:

Lager: A beer that is bottom-fermented (i.e. the yeast sinks when it’s done) at cold temperatures. Pilsner is a Czech variant of this style that tends to use more hops.

Ale: A beer that is top-fermented at somewhat warmer temperatures. There are many different types, but pale ales and their hoppier IPA cousins are among the most popular styles. ‘Pale’ just refers to the type of malt used. These tend to be fruitier in flavour even before the addition of hops for flavour and aroma. If you see a pale ale or IPA described as ‘New England-style’, don’t be surprised if it’s cloudy or even murky.

Wheat beer, Hefeweizen/Weißbier and Witbier: An ale that’s made with a good chunk of wheat in addition to the malted barley. You may get banana and clove-like aromas.

Sour: The action of lactobacillus bacteria during fermentation gives the ale a sour flavour. Berliner Weiße and Gose are German wheat ales that have gone through this, and the latter has a touch of salt added to it. In lambic beers, wild yeast also produces strong, funky flavours.

Saison: A style of ale that originated in the Wallonia region in Belgium. It tends to be floral and spicy.

Stout and porter: Top-fermented ales brewed with heavily-roasted malts, like Guinness. They tend to taste and smell like chocolate or coffee. Sometimes, the brewer adds lactose to give it sweetness and a creamier body, making a milk stout.

Hops: the flower cones of hop vines are used to give beers aromas, bitterness and other flavours to balance the sweetness of the malt. Popular varieties include Saaz (which makes lagers spicy and floral), Citra (citrus-like aroma and flavour), Mosaic (pungent tropical mango and berries), Galaxy (passion fruit) and Nelson Sauvin (white wine).

Dry-hopped: The hops are steeped in the beer after it has been boiled and cooled, extracting the flavours in a gentler manner and reducing the bitterness.

Draft/draught: The beer is poured from a tap that’s connected to a keg. Is it better than canned or bottled beer? All are good as long as the beer is stored and transported in the right conditions and consumed at the appropriate time.

IBU: International Bitterness Units, a measurement of the amount of bittering acids in a beer. The higher the number, the more bitter, but a well-balanced brew will still be drinkable.

Malt: Barley that is activated by warming and soaking. The process reduces the starches in the grain to fermentable sugars. Roasting stops the process and the malt is boiled to extract the sugars.

Adjuncts are other types of grains other than malted barley. Sometimes, they’re used to cut costs (corn and rice in mass-market beer), but they may also be used to impart different flavours (rye and wheat) or add body (oats).

Session beers tend to be lighter in body and alcohol content (less than 5.0%) to make it easier to drink large quantities continuously.

On the other hand, imperial stouts and IPAs are stronger than their regular counterparts in flavour and alcohol content.

Trappist beer: Beer brewed by Cistercian monks to support their way of life. Derived from the name of La Trappe Abbey. There are currently 12 beer-producing Trappist monasteries in Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, England and the United States. The beers tend to be strong and sweet ales.

As with wines and spirits, stronger beers may be aged to produce more complex flavours. Oak barrels may impart vanilla notes like in whiskies.

Singapore craft bars by region

I’ve added comments only if I’ve patronised the bar. Unlike other writers, I’ve chosen not to recommend any particular beer from each outlet. Outside of the breweries, the selections rotate all the time, so you may not find something I rave about when you drop by. At best, I can only provide a sense of what they tend to offer. Instead, take the opportunity to ask for samples. Talk to the staff about your preferences and preconceived notions and let them surprise you. Alternatively, you may want to check the ratings and tasting notes that other people have left on apps such as Untappd.

If you’re taking a friend to try ‘made in Singapore’ beers, I’ve marked the most reliable (in my opinion) places with a *.

Warning: This being Singapore, craft beer appreciation is an expensive hobby. Also, please don’t drink and drive. That’s the only thing in this post you should take as gospel.

Chinatown craft beer bars

3rd Culture are not (yet) a brewery but they serve draft craft beers at some of the lowest prices on this list. They get kegs from everyone, including the local microbrewers like Brewlander and Daryl’s Urban Ales. Beer comes only in 13-oz plastic cups. Once in a while, they hold takeovers where you can preorder drinks at discounted prices, and they run a loyalty card programme across both of their outlets. You’re in one of the best-known hawker centres in Singapore – go wild with the food pairings.

To find the entrance, look out for a neon burger-and-tulip glass sign in the back alley on Gemmill Lane. Besides the burgers (which still use the same Nebraskan beef as Burger Joint NY), there are 18 taps of craft beer. Expect half- and full US pints of beers you won’t find on tap anywhere else in Singapore. Hair of the Dog, The Bruery, Cloudwater, Omnipollo, Zagovor and Brewski have all made appearances. The menu is sometimes dominated by stronger imperial IPAs and stouts with prices to match, but completely worth it.

It’s an international selection on tap here to go with the all-day dining menu. There’s outdoor seating on the ground floor while those who prefer air-conditioned comfort should head upstairs. Pints before 8 p.m. go for $10 each and half-pints are also available.

Freehouse is on the second floor of a shophouse (stairs only) that’s a stone’s throw from Lau Pa Sat. It’s a reliable place to find a few beers from New Zealand and Australia, and they almost always have a cider on one of the 16 taps. Beer is served in 10-oz middies, 16-oz pints and flights of four 5-oz glasses. There’s also a selection of cans and bottles in the fridge and fusion pub grub. During happy hour (5-7 p.m. Mon-Thu, all day on Sat), it’s $3 off full pints.

A venture between Young Master Ales of Hong Kong and chef Vinny Lauria. There are serious restaurant-style dishes on The Guild’s menu that make use of locally-sourced seafood and vegetables. At least half of the taps are dedicated to Young Master’s beers, and you’ll get some that won’t appear elsewhere, e.g. Days of Being Wild. From the other taps flow Rogue ales, Garage Project, etc – and the house gin & tonic. Glasses are on the small side (200, 330 and 450 ml) so prices will seem a touch steep, especially with GST and service charge. However, there’s Happy Hour before 8 p.m. to take advantage of.

This is Heart of Darkness Brewery’s first outpost, and its award-winning core range and seasonal beers occupy two-thirds of the 30 taps. Five of the remaining taps are reserved for local brews. While there aren’t on-site brewing facilities to tour, serving sizes are similar to those at the taprooms in Saigon. That extends to the generously-sized flights. The other two glasses are a 12-oz “standard” and a US pint. Food – in the form of Vietnamese cuisine and the usual pub grub – is available and so is merchandise like caps and T-shirts.

The Fremantle brewery that kickstarted the craft revolution Down Under set up shop in 2018. Favourites like the fruity Bright Ale, citrusy Pale Ale and malty Rogers Beer are brewed on-site. “Lane Brews” that are unique to the Singapore outpost feature prominently too. Besides middies and schooners, you can also get your beer canned to take out.

You can’t miss the sign on the corner heritage shophouse. On Thursdays, the local beers that are on tap go for $10, and there’s more in the fridge from around the world. Locally distilled spirits from Compendium (Rojak and Chendol Gin) and Brass Lion are also on the menu, as are mussels, pizza and other mains.

As the name implies, SG Taps started out by featuring Singapore craft beers on draft almost exclusively. Crossroads, Brewlander, Red Dot and Rye & Pint flow from the 10 Merlion-shaped taps. The fridge is dominated by local breweries too, but there are options from Japan, Hong Kong, the U.S. and Vietnam too. The kitchen serves up Japanese food like donburi, ramen, oden and wafu pizza.

Most evenings, you’ll find beer geeks huddled around this stall in the corner of a recently-renovated hawker centre. The chances of running into a visiting craft brewer here are pretty high as well. Twelve draft beers from around the world are available, and there are eight more local ones at the unit that Good Beer Company used to occupy (#02-58). Be prepared to commit to full US pints (16 oz; 10 oz for stronger beers) – there are no half-pints here. Fourpure lager goes for $9 while other beers hover between $12 and $16.

Craft beer in Marina Bay

If Little Island is too far away for you, you can sample US pints of their beers here. At one point, the said beers were infused with different ingredients to impart new flavours. However, on my last visit, it was carried out only on the cocktails. They still do beertails, though!

The bar serves 16 beers on tap and a mod-Asian selection of bites. They go to the trouble of highlighting the local beers on the menu, and there are usually two or more of them. The standard serving size here is a 16-oz pint, though the more premium beers are also available in middies. The hard surfaces mean that the small enclosed space can get noisy, though. If you complete the loyalty card by drinking 10 pints in two months, the 11th is free.

You can get steak and American diner-type dishes to go with the 15 taps, which comprise mostly of Stone, Deschutes, Kona and Little Creatures brews. Prices are nett and tiered according to style, and there can be discounts of up to $4 during Happy Hour. Tasting platters of four craft beers are also available.

A short walk from Lau Pa Sat, Joyride is within the premises of The Autobus cafe. There are two taps of Devil’s Peak beers from South Africa (servings are in US pints) and there are more beers, ciders and natural wines from that country and the rest of the world in the fridge. They also hold the occasional Joyride Friday where you can win free beer by riding a bicycle training simulator.

While LeVeL33 touts itself as the world’s highest urban craft brewery, the main attraction is not the beer but the view of the Marina Bay area. An outdoor seat usually comes with minimum spending of $50 per head on food and drinks, but I got away without it on a quiet weekday afternoon. The house beers are easy to drink and they can be sampled in a flight of five, besides the usual half and full pours. Note that the porter is but a blend of their stout and IPA, not a unique brew. The revamped (July 2019) food menu is worth highlighting for its use of brewing ingredients and by-products, and you can choose between a fine dining menu or shared plates.

Serves up Moa beers from Marlborough, New Zealand with wines and gastropub fare. You can also order kegs and bottles of their beer. The core range of ales is safe but the pilsner is a good introduction.

The Bavarian microbrewery has been here since the mid-1990s. While they follow the Reinheitsgebot in the making of their beers, you might not know that they use the local tap water. Most days, there are just three beers to choose from: a light lager, a maltier dark lager and a Weissbier (the latter comes in 500-ml glasses only). In addition to these, there are seasonal beers like the Salvator (Lenten bock) and the Festbier. As you might expect, the menu features German cuisine extensively. Happy Hour runs until 8 p.m. daily; on Sundays and Mondays, it’s 1-for-1, and on other days, it’s 20% off.

The main selling point at TAP is the price of the beers; $8 for 12 oz and $10 for 16 oz, plus GST and service charge for both. The latter price also applies to their wines and you can also get flights. The 20 taps at each outlet heavily feature American breweries like Stone, Lost Coast and Coronado, with a few English, Australian and Vietnamese picks. Bar bites like wings, wedges, ribs and pasta are available, now that both outlets have full kitchens.

There are twelve taps of craft beer on rotation. The selection is not posted online, however, so you’ll have to head down to see what’s available. On the plus side, your non-beer-drinking friends will appreciate the extensive wine, spirit and cocktail selection. It’s an American diner-style menu here, so expect burgers, burritos, grilled meats and bar bites.

Craft beer in Bugis

A wee stall with four taps of American brews, and more in bottles. It shares stall space with Coffee Fusion, which serves up inexpensive espresso drinks. There’s plenty of good food on both the first and second floors.

ATR boasts an impressive 30 taps behind the bar. Glasses come in 7-oz tasters and 16-oz Spiegelau glasses, with some having an 11-oz option. Stone and Deschutes beers are a regular fixture but you’ll also find breweries from other countries. Besides these, full-sized meals, wines and spirits are also available. You can register as a member to get 2.5% back of your bill back and $20 to use on your birthday month.

BUNKERBUNKER occupies the container space at DECK. While the selection is limited to bottles and cans of local and American/Australian/Kiwi/European craft beers, bar bites are available (except on Mondays). They publicise their weekend events on their website and social media channels.

Set in an old terrace house that the Chinese Druggist Association used to occupy. With Mikkeller, To Øl, Lervig and more on the 24 taps, expect bold flavours. Serving sizes run a touch smaller than you’ll find elsewhere, though: small glasses are 200 ml and large ones just 420 ml. The food here can be described as Mod-Sin fusion bites.

Situated on Haji Lane, between Blu Jaz and the colourful Piedra Negra mural. You can get dim sum and the usual bar bites to go with one of the 12 beers on tap. Recently, these tend to feature local breweries like Brewlander, Daryl’s and That Singapore Beer Project. The same brewers are also behind Good Luck’s own beers, so give them a go too. Prices are nett and rarely exceed $13 for a half-pint and $18 for a full pint.

It’s alfresco seating only at Hospoda, but it suits the two beers they serve – a traditional pilsner and a sweeter dark lager. Prices are about a third less on all sizes (250 ml, 500 ml and jugs) before 7 p.m. They also serve up sausages, burgers and finger food to go with the drinks.

There are up to eight craft beers on tap at Malt. At launch, the initial selection featured familiar offerings from breweries in Singapore, Asia and Oceania. Half and full glasses are available except for stronger beers on the “W Tap”. Asian and Western-style bar bites are available–think fries, chilli dumplings and prawn paste chicken.

Take the stairs to reach Mikkeller’s local outpost. The 25 taps feature mostly the Danish brewery’s products – think IPAs, stouts and the Spontan series of lambics. There are also light bites such as meatballs and bottled beers like those that are sold at The Great Beer Experiment. This is also the usual meeting point for the monthly Mikkeller Running Club events. Weather permitting, they take place on the first Saturday of the month; wear one of their T-shirts to enjoy a 200-ml glass of house beer after each run.

Craft beer on/near Orchard Road

Unlike the ribs restaurant chain’s other outlets, this features 10 taps of imported craft beers and a phenomenal view of Orchard Road below. At their Saturday Beer Club events, it’s $55++ for all the beers on free flow.

The sister outlet to Druggists moved to the Orchard Road belt in 2018. Sells mostly bottles of Mikkeller (and their merchandise), To Øl, Pannepot, Orval and other Trappist beers from a kiosk, but they also have a couple of taps for local Rye & Pint beers. No other food here but there are seats.

Hopheads draws a young crowd to its parties and there’s the option of playing beer pong and darts in the dark, ginormous space. Food takes the form of pasta, pizza, burgers and snacks, while pints of Stone, Deschutes and Young Master are often on tap.

Another of the early movers. Being Japanese-themed, one can order yakitori skewers with draft Hitachino Nest beers and sake. The 10 taps may also pour Fourpure, Brewdog, St Austell, Gweilo and more. Half pints, full pints and flights are served and there is an additional charge for the stronger beers. Pricing depends on what time you show up, but they’re at their cheapest before 6 p.m. There’s a Beer Rewards points programme across the related outlets: earn a free pint for every 10.

The air-conditioned sister outlet to Jibiru is in the lobby of the Mandarin Orchard Hotel across the road. The eight taps usually feature Japanese craft beer labels like Hitachino Nest, Sankt Gallen, Shiga Kogen and Minoh, and there’s more of the same in bottles as well. Fourpure or Brewdog brew may also appear and you can also order whisky and other spirits from Bar on 5. Prices are higher (though there are staggered happy hour prices) but you get cocktail nuts to munch on.

Craft beer in Clarke Quay, Boat Quay & River Valley

Started brewing their own beers decades before craft beer became a thing in Singapore. Bottles, growlers, kegs and pub grub are also available. The range includes six core beers, two seasonal specials and three guest taps. You can have them in anything from an 11-oz stem to a 4-litre tower to a flight of four 4-oz glasses. The TV screens show live sports channels so you don’t have to choose between watching football and microbrews.

Temple Cellars started as a bottle shop with door-to-door chilled deliveries of craft beer, natural wines and boutique spirits, but they now also have eight taps and occasionally organise craft produce fairs. Draft beer comes in 10-oz glasses. You can also order online and pick up from the shop.

There are a couple of differences from the sister outlet at Maxwell: there’s a fridge full of bottles and cans, and beers come in 16-oz glasses. Note that the selections at the two stalls rarely overlap, and the events take place at only one outlet, not both. To make it easier to find the stall, go to the easterly end of the food centre closer to Dakota MRT station. On Wednesdays, you get two free beers when you complete their loyalty card here.

What’s a coffee bar doing on this list? It deserves its place because there are ten taps of local and foreign craft beer (Heretic, Brewdog, Rye & Pint, Founders, etc.), and you can them any time during their opening hours. The signature beer is the Coffee Magpie, which is Heart of Darkness’s Excited Magpie Irish stout brewed with Huggs coffee beans and served on nitro. Stronger beers come in 6-oz portions while you get 12-14 oz of the rest. Food takes the form of wraps, pies, cakes, muffins and crisps.

This is a very chill place where you can sit outdoors and watch planes land and take off from Changi Airport. American- and Australian-style food is on the menu for brunch, lunch and dinner, and a barbecue or paella special takes place occasionally. As for their own beer, there’s no fixed size. You purchase a charge card, top it up with at least $10 and use it to pour as much or as little of each brew yourself. You can also ask the staff for help if you want to taste a little of each before committing.

This relaxed gastropub in the Siglap area serves dinner and comes with both indoor and outdoor seating. The 12 taps draw mainly Fourpure and Brewdog beers but there are others too. And if it matters to you, each beer is served in that brewery’s glassware. You can watch live sports on the TV here as well.

The Pink Blossoms brewery taproom is in an industrial estate with few dinnertime options. Thankfully, you’re allowed to bring your own food and Ubi MRT station is a short walk away. The Lean on Me New England pale ale and the Hundred Years milk stout are the core beers, while the seasonal beers tend to be hazy pales and IPAs brewed with different hop varieties. For now, they come only in full-sized pints; flights would be nice.

If you can’t venture beyond the airport during a layover, this is where you can sample local craft beer on tap. Other forms of booze are also available. Please note that their bar in the transit area of Terminal 1 closed in August 2019.

Craft beer bars in the west of Singapore

As the name implies, they sell chilled bottled craft beer and cider from $10. There are macro brews and whisky highballs on tap as well. For food, patronise the hawker stalls in at lunchtime and the food trucks in the evening. It can get pretty raucous especially when there’s live music.

Canjob, formerly known as Booze Pharma-C and Little Papa’s Wieners, occupies a cosy unit in Link Hotel. There are four beers on tap (half and full pints) along with cocktails and a fridge stocked with an international selection of packaged craft beer. You can also get the draft beers to go in 11-oz/330-ml cans. As befits its former guise, the grub takes the form of hot dogs and meat pies.

The drink choices at Danger Close aren’t limited to the handful of imported and local craft brews on tap. They also offer espresso, nitro cold brew coffee, gongfu tea and even sparkling gourmet tea on tap. Recently (May 2019), there were also bottles of Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout. It a pity, though, that the short opening hours and proximity to houses dictate how long the post-meal drinks last. Half and full US pints are the serving sizes here.

The Good Beer Company name started as a hawker stall that sold bottled craft beer in the early 2010s. It’s since changed hands and moved to Kent Ridge, though the signage remains near Smith Street Taps. From the eight taps flow pints of Brewdog, Fourpure, St Austell, Gweilo and Hitachino Nest, but the fridge also stocks more than 200 other beers. While there’s pizza from Pizza Republic in the air-conditioned premises, you can also buy food from the other restaurants at Savourworld and sit outdoors. The loyalty programme that is run at Jibiru, Malthouse and Takumi applies only to draft beer here.

Across the road from the Novena Church, just in case you feel guilty. Beer-inspired pub grub, pizza and burgers to go with the 20 taps. Their beers come from various sources, so you’ll find Deschutes, Lervig, Heart of Darkness, Yeastie Boys and more. One size only and that’s a 16-oz pint. Premier League football matches are also shown on a big screen here.

Orh Gao (‘black dog’ or stout in Hokkien lingo) shares its premises with a Killiney Kopitiam franchise. If you’re so inclined, you can have your beer with kaya toast and eggs when their hours overlap. After that, the kitchen makes pasta, fish and chips, otah-otah (spicy fish paste) sandwiches and other finger food. 300-ml servings and full pints are available from the 10 taps, and the choices are supplemented by bottles in the fridge.

This gastropub is as close to the northwest as the revolution has got. There are usually Brewdog, Fourpure and Hitachino Nest beers among the eight taps but there is also an extensive selection in the fridge. Half and full pints are served but you can also have a tasting rack of four draft beers. The kitchen whips up the standard pub fare like burgers, pasta and fish and chips. They also organise Trails & Ales, a monthly trail run in the surrounding Bukit Timah area that is followed by discounts on selected beers. They run a loyalty programme as well.

Bottle shops in Singapore

Besides Temple Cellars, Good Beer Company and Bottle Shop, you can buy and take home bottled and canned beer from these local establishments. You can also order craft beer online from them (click on the links) and arrange deliveries.

You’ll find the beers that you see at Tap bars here, and then some from the likes of Avery, Golden Road, Left Hand, Dogfish Head, Three Weavers and more. There’s even White Claw hard seltzer. Yes, they’re mostly American but there are also Australian and Belgian beers and Swedish ciders. Online orders are the usual mode of purchase but the warehouse on 8 Lorong Bakar Batu is open during clearance sales.

Besides Moldovan wines and Slovenian spirits, they also stock Lion City’s mead range and Kabinet beers from Serbia in their fridges. It’s not the owner’s main business, so message them on Facebook ahead of time to see whether they’re open when you wish to visit.

The selection here comes from the world over and also features a few harder-to-find bottles. You get a 5% discount when you purchase six bottles, while a dozen gets you 10% off. They keep a bottle/can of each beer they have in a fridge as well.

Homebrewing supplies in Singapore

Yeah, I know the price of booze in Singapore is ridiculous. However, did you know that you can make up to 30 litres of beer a month per household without a license? As long as you don’t sell it, distil it or create a nuisance, it’s legal. If you want to try brewing your own beer, you can start out at either of these places. I doubt you can discuss beer at length with another geek in the same way when you buy from Amazon.

If you’d like to meet other homebrewers and aficionados, you can join Craft Brew Asia or any of local Telegram/WhatsApp homebrewing groups that I don’t know of.

Establishments that have closed

Even though the craft beer scene in Singapore is growing, the cost of doing business takes its toll occasionally. These are some of the players that have shuttered over the last few years – a moment of silence for them, please:

Birdy’s

Brewers Craft

Five Marbles

Jungle Brewing

Live at the Crossroads

The Dragonfly

The SG craft beer bar map

I’ve pinned the above bars and shops and others I know on a Singapore Craft Beer Map. It’s a constant work-in-progress, so it’s not always accurate, and I’m grateful to the local craft beer community for their valuable input. Let me know if there’s something that needs updating!

I mapped all the craft beer bars, brewpubs and bottle shops in Singapore that I could find – let me know if I missed any out, please! I'll add Mikkeller Bar Singapore once they review their new location.